Esti Herskowitz

02/02/2024

EstiTours Presents
Fact for Friday!

433. Netivot is one of three small cities in the West/Northern negev; in fact, it’s the smallest: both Ofakim, and Sderot are larger. Set just a few kilometers from the Aza border (so close, it’s original name was meant to be AZATA—on the road to Aza), it’s known as a development town—established early on in Israel’s history, to absorb the many immigrants flooding the gates after independence. Here, there are mainly North African Jews. Even tho they’ve been struggling with rockets, and losses of belongings and income, Netivot has lately somewhat lost its sleepy town image, as the culinary delights of Morroccan cooking, as well as the warmth of the population, became more renowned. The big joke on the street is, advertising slogans say every eatery has delicious food, the shuk is THE place to be, but if you knock on any door anywhere in the city, you’ll still get the best food ever!

26/01/2024

EstiTours Presents:
Fact for Friday!
Moshavim Nachala, Segula and Menucha are all in the Gedera area, (Southern coastal plain) all agricultural, all settled in the early years of the State. The names!!! Oh the names!!! Yemenite jews started came officially in 1882, but ultimately settled in their own kibbutzim and moshavim hubs around Independence. Nachala (originally, Yemenite Jews) and Menucha (originally, Kurdistani Jews) were both named for a sentence in Kings 1 (8:56 ) "Blessed be the Lord who has given rest (מנוחה) to his people Israel " , that is also used in the shabbat afternoon service, that added a word, Nachala (נחלה)meaning inheritance (of land) . So they incorporate Bible with love of, and the working of, our ancestral land. Segula, (meaning a protective charm) also originally Yemenites, is also renowned for it’s great restaurant…..

19/01/2024

EstiTours Presents
Fact for Friday!!

Green onion, aka scallions, don’t take up a lot of space, but the furrows needs to weeded, so that’s what we did. Even if one doesn’t care for the taste, the smell of the fresh bulb, the green stalk, against the brown soil and the blue sky, in the crisp air, really helps one understand the farmer's choice of profession.
But the scallion isn’t an indigenous veggie; nowhere in the Bible is it mentioned. And what kind of a name is scallion, anyway? In Hebrew, its בצל ירוק, literally, green onion. That makes sense. But scallion?’ Turns out, it is very connected to our land. Romans came into this country via Ashkelon port, which had a lot of produce traffic. The area is favorable to growing onions, and the romans really liked the small green onion that they found in the ashkelon area, (either grown here, or imported, it’s unclear) and so they called it “ ashkelon onion”, or askelonia which evolved into scallion. B’tayavon!

12/01/2024

EstiTours Presents
Fact for Friday

Tel Hashomer is the largest hospital in israel, and, as you can imagine, has been juggling many in-, and out-, patients, as our defensive battle progresses. Clinics have been moved, expanded, and coped with not only more need, but with many more visitors and supporters. They not only take such good care of their patients, that the patients don’t want to go home-- But they also help and support, teach and accommodate the families! It had been billed as 9th best hospital in the world (this, from their website 😊 ). They even have a special area for bus parking! That’s Real accommodation!

05/01/2024

EstiTours Presents:
Fact for Friday!

Olive picking is over! the season for picking is the season of chanuka, when we need the oil. Conventional wisdom went out the proverbial window (we were outside!! No windows!!))) Here are some information switches. We thought, the olive grower knocks the trunk of the tree, and the fruit falls off onto sheets lining the ground. That’s partially true. Material is indeed lining the ground under the tree, to catch the fruit, but the harvest is actually combed off the tree with rakes! Short rakes for the lower branches (and shorter people) and longer rakes for the top of the trees.
The other new factoid is, olive pickers must walk on tiptoes! Cuz once the olives fly off the tree (and fly is indeed the operative description) and land on the material, the raker still needs to stand there and continue harvesting, but cannot walk, lest s/he step on the olive and crush it. Its like a rake dance!!

10/03/2023

10/03/2023

Esti Tours Presents
Friday Fun Fact!
Gush Etzion, to the south of Jerusalem, is such a modern place, that its’ easy to forget to the ancient, and modern Zionist history, that is so crucial to our state today. Archeological finds in the area include a Herodian fortress, 2000 years old, still making headlines. Herod the king’s grave (which took 35 years to find, can you imagine looking for something unsuccessfully for 35 years? Im Thinking of my daily search for my car keys) and the home entertainment center he set up in his palace, as well as a water system that’s still working (and major fun to walk thru) are just a few of the archeological treasures. The story of modern Zionism is just as thrilling. In spite of tremendous odds, and much sacrifice, gush Etzion was built, destroyed, rebuilt, destroyed, over and over in a cycle, until after 1967, when the sons returned and rebuilt, and rebuilt, and rebuilt. Now, it’s thriving, with 18 communities, an industrial zone, and most important, commercial centers with amazing eateries. And I mean amazing.

03/01/2023

Just spent two days with two wonderful women, mom and daughter,.who were up for off the beaten track places, like the machal monument, the convoys, temple sifting and more. Watching them Re-connect to the land they were already committed to was captivating!!